The Philippines expressed concern Thursday over the United States’ latest decision to impose a 20% reciprocal tariff on Filipino exports, though officials acknowledged the rate is among the lowest in the region.
“We are concerned that the US has decided to impose a 20 percent tariff on Philippine exports,” said Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go in a press briefing.
“However, this is the second-lowest rate among all reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US — with Singapore receiving the lowest at 10 percent,” Go added.
Go said the Marcos administration remains committed to pursuing a bilateral comprehensive economic agreement or potentially a free trade agreement (FTA) with Washington.
He added that a high-level delegation composed of himself, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, and Undersecretaries Perry Rodolfo and Allan Gepty will travel to the United States next week to engage in face-to-face negotiations with US trade representatives.
“This trip was scheduled even before today’s announcement,” Go clarified.
“Face-to-face meetings are far more effective, especially after the last round of talks mostly involved email exchanges,” he added.
While the 20% tariff rate generally applies to all goods from the Philippines, Go noted that certain product categories are still governed by specific U.S. tariff schedules.
“Fortunately, most of these cover aluminum and steel, which are not key Philippine exports to the US,” he said.
Go also reassured the public that the country’s top export to the US, semiconductors and electronics, is currently largely exempt from the tariff hike.
“There have been some indications from the U.S. that they’re reviewing whether to maintain that exemption,” Go said.
“But as of today, the majority of our semiconductor exports remain tariff-free, which is good news,” he added.
Asked whether President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will personally raise the issue with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is reportedly behind the new tariff policy, Go declined to comment, saying, “That’s beyond my role.”
He emphasized, however, that the Philippine government will continue pushing economic reforms to enhance the country’s competitiveness and attract investment.
“We’re also actively working to diversify trade relationships globally to create more opportunities for Filipino enterprises,” Go stated.
The US remains one of the Philippines’ largest trading partners, with electronics accounting for a substantial portion of total exports.
